Spira's paine
by Yuna Of Besaid
Summary: Paine's P.O.V as she travels with the Gullwings and remembers her past! This is Paine's story, hopefully its a good one. Please read & review. It means a lot! : Paralai. Major Paralai
1. The Gullwings

Hello readers. This is my third fic called Spira's Paine. Its an account of all the places the Gull wings went that meant something to Paine and her secret thoughts. What fun. Each chapter should be shortish like diary form. So step one! The gull wings!

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Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X-2 even though I wished I did.

**Sphere hunters wanted! Seeking Spira's past! For more information visit Luca docks and see Buddy or Rikku. The Gull Wings!**

This notice grabbed my attention immediately. Seeking Spira's past, spheres! I know I had to look. _Even if it turned out they were dea_- shut up Paine! They can't be remember, you're their pilot. They wouldn't be dead. _But how could they be alive too._ Surely I would have heard something. This was my only chance to find out what happened to the guys. I hurried out of he bar I had been working at for the past two years to the docks round the corner. The sight that met my eyes was truly amazing.

" Guys, looks like our dream is finally coming true." I gasped as I saw the bright red airship parked in front of me. An airship! So Gippal was right after all. _My engineer. Gone._ " Shame you're not here to see it with me guys." I whispered. Whoa, Baralai would have been just as open mouthed as I was at seeing this giant machina. I wonder if he returned to Yevon. _My navigator. He probably isn't around to join Yevon again._ I walked over to the Al Bhed crew to speak to Rikku or Buddy.

" Who is the leader, Rikku? I am the leader! I speak to the people! I am the lea-" The girl obviously annoyed by her captain had knocked him unconscious then turned and smiled at me. Nooj would never have behaved in that way. I know he-, but it was an accident. Nooj always looked out for us. _My captain. Nooj everything that happened, happened because of You!_ No! It was an accident. But I had to know.

" Hiya! New recruit right?" I nodded in response to the girl who was obviously Rikku. " Well, welcome aboard." I gasped slightly. Wasn't she even going to ask anything about me. " Don't worry all we need to know is your name on the Celsius." She giggled, skipping happily around. I can easily see myself killing her. She looked about a year younger than me but since the squad... I abandoned the true Paine. Putting on a false mask to hide my hurt. " Anyway I'm-"

" Rikku, I assume! Paine!" I replied shaking her hand. " When do we leave?"

At least two weeks had gone by now aboard the airship when I was told we were going to Besaid to pick up the high summoner Yuna. Coincidently, Rikku's cousin. What joy! I awoke early. In the squad just me and Baralai were morning people. We took the mornings as an opportunity to get to know one another. He taught me the prayers of the morning and I taught him everything I knew about speaking Al Bhed. Team work!_ But mornings aren't the same without your smiling face to greet me._ One day the mornings will be for you and me again, my friend. I walked to the kitchen and poured some hypello puffs into a bowl. Rikku will be mad when she finds we ran out again I thought sniggering to myself. We had arrived in Besaid now. Rikku bounced off the ship to the arms of Yuna. She smiled at me and boarded the ship, skipping!. Defiantly related to Rikku. I might just have to kill them. I remember me and the guys talking about this girl bringing the calm and what we would do. _I hope some day they too will get to meet Yuna! _Guys, I know you're out there! And one day we will fly a ship all of our own!


	2. Mi'ihen sunsets

Hello again everyone. Seriously expect a few chapters because I'm writing chronologically from the piggyback guide. This means they will go to the youth league and not New Yevon :( too bad. But its the only way to get all the spheres and stuff.

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Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy x-2. Such a sad world!

Yuna had been with us a while now and defiantly proved to be related to Rikku. Although more reserved and respectful she was often caught in Rikku's silliness and foolish behaviour sometimes consumed the girl too. Yuna had a habit of always having to help people too. Annoying or what. _Dr P. Come on! That's a little harsh. _Gippal's voice rang through my head. I know that's what he would say if he was still here. Together. Complete. _I feel broken inside since you guys left me. _Yuna walked up to me seeming to be commentating to herself for no reason.

"What now?" I snapped at the older girl who was smiling nervously at me.

"Oh, Nothing" She stuttered convinced she had insulted me and that I would kill her in her sleep. _Well Paine, They do know what you're like_. This time Baralai's voice chuckled in my head. I think I probably should sit down. Hearing voices wasn't natural and hearing dead voices wasn't natural either. _But they could be alive Paine! _I yelled to my conscience. It was a losing battle...against myself. Brother's careless driving shook me out of my daze. Well done Brother. The first useful thing you have done for me so far. Yuna had decided that we needed to travel to all the places in Spira before doing any main sphere hunts so she could see the world she had helped to change. After all, Yuna was an ex-summoner. She had never done anything by herself before. Always leaning on the arms of guardians, doing as the temple ordered. Never experiencing life and real suffering. _She suffered equally as much as we all did, Paine. _Nooj's voice boomed in my head. Sure, she laid her life down for Spira and saw the misery, but did she feel the misery they had gone through. All the crusaders who died in vain. Priests and priestesses betrayed by Yevon's lies. My Guys. _We didn't suffer in vain ,you know. We will find out the truth ,Paine_ Stop! I don't know if you're alive or not but this is my life. And I am being captured by yours instead. _This wasn't meant to happen._ We were meant to be a team! Now I remain alone. Anger is a good way to forget what you're really meant to be doing, I concluded when I noticed we arrived at Mi'ihen high road. Of all the places...I relive my nightmare again. Through crimson eyes.

We battled our way to Cid's travel agency. _ Scared? Bang! _Gippal and Baralai taunted to me now. It was a catchy phrase the guys liked to use but now its meaning hit me. Yuna and Rikku walked into Rin's. I excused my self for some air. Stood motionless, staring from the very spot he stood before he..._ machina this, machina that! There's nothing to worry about if you use them right._ I walked slowly towards another spot, staring, tears refusing to fall in the place where he...I_ want no part of a group where its members kill each other! _I fell to the ground, imaginary tears rolling off my face. I can only cry in the other world. The dream world. Every night You guys consume my thoughts. Make me wake to endless nightmares, wishing I would wake to see Baralai's smiling face in the Bikinel sunshine. That nothing had happened and we would laugh at my dream because we knew we would never loose each other. Laugh because Dr P had been exposed to the sun too long and was loosing her mind. Laugh because we were young and crazy and unstoppable. _Paine, we're sorry! _But I awake for another day. No smiling face to greet me and teach me prayers. No taunts from a certain Al Bhed. No insults from our captain. No reason to get out of bed. Only hurt.

I stood up slowly and walked into Cid's to see the happy cousins chatting.

" We should go" I told them as the sun began to set. _Sunset. When metal pierced flesh. When hope was lost. _When I died inside.

_Your works done! Why are you still recording?_


	3. My den of woe

Chapter 3 (does a crazy dance) I warn you now, lots of chapters to come!! So chapter three Is a return to mushroom rock road. This is slightly a Paralai fic so be warned again. Please read and review!

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Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not a sausage and not final fantasy X-2!

" ohhh! That's enough! Those two guys are getting away!" Rikku screeched as the youth league finished their vow.

" Did Leblanc's men pass through here?" I asked Yaible even though I knew the answer. He replied that they had and they were 'looking after the fiend problem'. They were up to no good. I didn't want to be here. Returning back to the scene of my nightmare. The youth league, I heard, was run by a man named Nooj. But could it be my Nooj._ I feel sick to the stomach._ But I had to know. _But it can't be my Nooj. My Nooj is dead! _Courage Girl! My captain was out their alive somewhere and I was going to find him!We ran through the fog filled road. I remember at operation Mi'ihen, when we had crossed this same road to our final mission. I remember Gippal and Baralai toying with Nooj all the way along. _Nooj, watch your leg don't get stuck down one of these holes _Gippal would pester, Baralai backing him up. They where such the double act. The main source of entertainment for them was pestering 'our dear captain'. _Brats!_ Nooj! His voice was so strong...so clear in my head it was almost real. These past few days had scared me to be honest. First I hear that the youth league is being ran by a Nooj and then the rumours of a new Praetor arose suspicion too. Some really young guy who seemed to be getting things sorted. Although, I questioned this logic, looking at the state of Spira. I wondered if Baralai had spoken to this new Praetor. _The dead can't speak! _I'm not the Yevon type but sometimes I find my self stopping, and listening for your laugh. Waiting for your return. I pray every night that you are alive and well and mostly that if you are that you remember me. That you wish for me like I wish for you._ All of them. But mainly him._ Paine, get a grip you're eighteen. Too old to play foolish games.

We have detoured now, going the way I hoped never to go again in my life. _I walked that day, with you beside me. I was confidant that we would walk out the same way, alive, happy and together._ Baralai, I wish you were walking next to me now. I try to tell myself I wasn't in love then. That I was only a young girl and my feelings where confused. That I didn't love you and that I don't now. _Why don't you join us? _Maybe it was your kind nature that invited me into your group or maybe it was just for fun, but then I realised I truly did want to join you. _I acted harsh and cold at first, but you saw through that...you saw me and I saw you._ I would be lying if I didn't admit you're the real reason I went searching Spira, but I still need to know about the others too.

A bully cap brought me to reality when I saw Rikku and Yuna unconscious on the floor. They must have been slacking. One swipe of my sword and pyreflies erupted out of it. I backed away slowly. _So many pyreflies!_ They scared me senseless, remembering the way they entered Nooj and surrounded the guys. _Put-the-gun-down!_ It had turned them savage. Nooj raised his gun to Baralai. Baralai gave up hope then, I saw it in his eyes as he fell to his knees awaiting death. Gippal...he ducked. The pyreflies came after him but he ducked and they hit Nooj. Nooj gasped! My heart bled. Nooj raised a gun to my 'Lai's head. Gippal was fine. Un-harmed from the pyreflies...he wouldn't have shot Nooj, he was just concerned for his friends. Or so I thought as he raised his gun. But fire arose in Baralai's eyes as he stood up..._You put your gun down..._ Gun to Gippal's head. A triangle. They stood guns to each others heads. pyreflies surrounded you guys. I saw Gippal's eyes change now. Fire, resent...anger. They would have shot, they would have killed each other, they would have dies like all the others they had spent the past weeks competing against, they would have-_Stop it!_ I remember my own yell as fear rose inside me. They backed away as I ran in between Nooj and Baralai. Baralai was the first to lower his weapon. _Your eyes that day. The hurt I saw when you recollected that you almost killed your friend, your best friend. I saw fear. We ran!_

We ran! Faster than usual but Yuna was after Le blanc's men's blood! I pray the den is sealed. I- I can't go back their again. _I remember._ We approached the men kneeling over many spheres. They saw us and used their fancy tricks to disappear, leaving a sphere behind. A sphere like my spheres. I remember that they had a certain crimson colour. I looked at the entrance to find it sealed. Yuna walked over to touch the door. I wanted to scream 'Yuna No!' but only silence left my lips. Her image was replaced by the guys panting, doubled over and talking stupidly to the warrior monks. _As soon...as soon as we went in._ Baralai tried to catch his breath. Nooj looked pretty stationary though. _They became violent, everyone, it must have been the pyreflies._ Nooj uttered in one sentence. He was showing his nerves. Baralai stood up straight now, giving his account._ They swarmed around us too, so many pyreflies._ Gippal bent over, eyes in terror, carried on for Baralai. W_e saw it. That apparition! _The guards shouted at you to start making sense._ It was a machina. An enormous machina. It trembled and growled...like a beast. _Baralai added looking scared into the eyes of the monks. Gippal intervened._ I've never seen anything like it. _Nooj piped up from the corner. _When I saw the apparition, it got inside me. It made me feel fear, regret, despair._ That's how I felt now, looking for people I believed to be dead.Still, the image of the guys continued in my mind. It was Baralai's turn to express what he felt._ Same here,I can't explain why but I felt, so sad! _Gippal looked down before agreeing. _Yeah. It was like, somebodies raw emotions just came out of nowhere and hijacked my brain_ He added, puzzled by his own words, like they wasn't his. The guard got angry, demanding to know who. You never answered. He asked if that was all. Baralai nodded for you all.You where told to return to the command centre and protect the maester. That that was your first mission as crimson squad members. _What, we passed? _Gippal asked shocked. You where all congratulated. You all laughed again, old times. _Alright!_ Gippal taunted._ We did it! Yeah we did!_ Gippal and Baralai conversed as Nooj walked away. You walked away happy but I saw th_e _monks gesture at the guns. My heart leapt . All we had gone through...for an attempt on our lives._ Run! Run! _My last cries for you. I heard your gasps as you saw the guns. I was ushered to be quiet before fleeing for my life too.

I look up to see Yuna talking to a youth league member. We have been asked to leave. Yuna sees i'm paler than usual and suggests we board the airship quickly before continuing the mission of 'fiend-busting'. Rikku just wants to see the sphere we found. I just want to find you.

_Extremely dangerous indeed_


	4. Remember me

Hello again. Well it had to happen. I know, but it did. Chapter 4 is here.

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Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Final Fantasy x-2! Nothing!

Yuna decided that now we had helped the youth league it would be a good idea to see the other factions around Spira. Rikku immediately pointed out that the machine faction would be a good place to go. They salvaged machina that could help Spira. Yuna agreed. Well she is half Al Bhed after all and Rikku, well..._ Hey, the Al Bhed want to protect Spira too._ I wonder what Gippal would make of the machine faction. He would probably love it! In fact if Gippal could he would become leader of it. Ha. _But he isn't around to see it, Paine. Why don't you understand that!_ Baralai would be having forty fits if he saw a machina faction. _machina. Even if the maester's okay with it, what about everyone else? _I remember when the group Captain first handed him a gun. He just held it there with a blank expression on his face. _You do know how to fire a gun right?_ Gippal teased him at first. _Oh yeah, because every yevonite has to shoot someone once in their life, right? _Baralai chuckled after he realised what he had said. _That when you two became brothers of sorts. _One big family. Just like Dumb and Dumber I travel with now. _Shut up. Your get us reported!_ At least you guys had some common sense. We only wanted to save Spira, not every living thing we saw like a certain hyper, ex-summoner I know. Guess it must be an ex-summoner thing. Like being a retired superhero really. Just 'cause it's not your job any more you still can feel the need to help people. _Wow Paine, that's deep._ Baralai chuckles in my head. Okay, this is getting weird now. Its like they live through me. _Maybe i'm being possessed by all three of them._ If they are actually dead that is.

"After we defeated sin, people started to distance themselves from the temples. For a long time Djose temple was neglected as well." Yuna commented to me. All I knew of temples I had learnt from Baralai and even then it was mainly Bevelle temple. " But now..." She carried on trailing off slightly. Baralai said that this temple was surrounded by floating rocks and it was. It was truly amazing. _When a summoner awaits for the temple to open the rocks float away into the sky itself. _Baralai always had a way of making me see everything in a magical way, as if by candle light. _All that one can see is the temple its self and giant boulders spiralling in the air above the hallowed temple._ That man could make the rebirth of sin seem dreamy to me if he tried. I once imagined what a sending performed by Baralai would look like. It would be so sad yet, probably the most magical and mystical thing I would ever see in my life. _Perform the sending for me_. I asked him one night I felt particularly brave. He shook his head and looked into my eyes. _I was lost in your chocolate eyes but I would never tell you that._ You said your summoning days began and ended months ago. '_My brother, he was my guardian you see. We travelled all of Spira. To the very end of the world. Zanarkand. I completed my pilgrimage and I would have gladly given my life. But I guess I was selfish. My brother refused to let me enter the dome. Said he would rather die himself then watch me willingly die for people who didn't care about me like he did. I told him I had too but...I didn't. It was selfish I know but to have the feeling that you have true love, be it among siblings, parents, friends or lovers was worth the fear and regret of sin. At least it was for me. I'm sorry I couldn't give you a calm, Paine. Forgive me.' _I remember your words clear that night. I never forgot them. Or the way the moonlight hit your hair, your eyes, your tears. And how within your sadness I found pity and love and we shared our first kiss together. Under the Bikinel moon. That was until..

" Everyone's staring!" Yuna exclaimed. I was brought from my cloud back down to Spira, fast. We were still outside the temple and apparently I had missed Yuna's beloved story.

" You're famous Yunie! Better get used to it" Rikku whispered to her cousin. Oh, how Gippal would be lapping up the fame right now. _So once we get sin the calm will come. Got anything exciting planned?_

" All I wants some peace and quiet" Stated the ex-summoner, relapsing into daydream mode. Rikku shuffled sideways towards me. Oh Yevon, not unwanted contact.

" Poor thing. She's led such a sheltered life" the Al Bhed responded to her cousins remarks. Sheltered, unlike some. _We did all that we could, Paine._ Whatever! I've even given up on the voices in my head.

" Maybe she's getting old" I whispered back although loud enough for Yuna to hear. I wanted to get the whole 'save Spira' thing out of the way before high summoner Yuna worries about wrinkles. She spun on her heel towards me.

" Whose getting old?" She challenged me before walking off towards the entrance of the temple._ It can't be!_ A flash of flamboyant purple passed my eyes. Don't react. Don't react. _Oh My Yevon Gippal!!_ I said don't react. On the outside my face remained stoic. Inside I was well...impersonating Rikku and Yuna normally. He passed Yuna and I swear he winked at her. _Same old pervert._ Mind flashes back to a time when Gippal tried to hit on me too. Baralai gave him immense evils for the rest of the day. Yuna seemed slightly dazed by this 'stranger'. Oh come on she was practically swooning. _Hide your sister, from the Gipster. _That was Gippal's phrase back then. I see it hadn't changed.

"That's Gippal. Leader of the machine faction." Rikku giggled to Yuna. She must have seen it in a maga- " He can be kinda annoying but he's all right." Oh Yevon. She personally knows Gippal?

" Okay, lets do some interviews. Bring it!" Gippal yelled in his usual casual way. Oh My Yevon. _If you are alive that must mean he is alive._ Gippal leader of the machine faction. I knew he would be the leader. He was always so big headed and talk about a womaniser. Although..._ "You got a girl waiting at home for you?" Gippal asked Baralai. Baralai scowled at his comment because Gippal was first to discover us. " No?" He questioned. " What about you Paine? Got a girl waiting at home for you?" Again with the scowling from Baralai and the whacking from me. " Ow, Dr P. Fix the hurt you brought upon me." He added rubbing his head. I shook mine. " Hey, unlike you lot I got a girl waiting for me. And I want to live to see her again." he noticed out questioning looks. " She is the most amazing girl ever right. She's only a year younger than me but boy is she a little hottie!" He lay back with his arms under his head. " Granted he pops tried to kill me when he saw us together but whatever. She is worth the pain. She is the reason i'm here. I'm fighting for you, Cid's girl._

" Well, if it isn't Cid's girl. How ya been?" Gippal asked Rikku. Yevon, Rikku was Gippal's girlfriend! I should have guessed. I have lost all respect I ever gained for her. _Paine you must stop blacking out!_ Nooj ordered. That's when I noticed Gippal was 'interviewing' us already.

" Hey I have a name!" Rikku exclaimed. Two years later and they're still flirting. _I miss you, Paine. _ Shut up head. Baralai might not even be alive! Gippal and Rikku chit-chatted for a while before he turned to me. Gulp._ You had to face your past some day._

" Wha- You!" Gippal nearly screamed at me. I wanted to hug you, feel that you were real. Ask you questions about your life. Ask about Baralai. I wanted to cry into your too purple shirt.

_No one is to know of the Crimson Squad._ So many emotions. I settled for:

" Paine. Nice to meet you." He nodded confused and I gave him a death glare. For his own good. "We're here for the interview." He backed away agreeing and mulling over my words and soon we got down to business of digging in Bikinel. When the interview ended you looked back over to where I stood. My eyes asked the question my lips could not. You silently nodded in return. I wanted to cry but most of all I just wanted to leave here. Run and never come back.

_Is he alive?_


	5. Memories in Sand

So chapter five already. How are you enjoying my fic people? Please review...I have cookies. Thanks for all my reviewers. You are the reason I check my emails. Now onward. Oh Baralai fans, don't worry we meet his 'Lainess next chapter so hang on!

Disclaimer...is stupid! I think by the fifth chapter they know I don't own Final Fantasy. But just to make the fanfic people happy. I don't own it! Happy now? ( Voice from fanfic : yes, please continue) Good !

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All night I had tossed and turned in bed. I couldn't sleep. That nod. That silent gesture had reassured my soul. Gippal was alive and so was Baralai if Gippal was being truthful. I know Gippal was the joker but he would never lie about that. Strangely, Gippal's voice stopped haunting me. Instead fond memories of him replaced my fear. Nooj boomed in the back of my skull still but Baralai... I was neither sad nor happy. I was so relieved to hear him alive and well yet so hurt by the fact he didn't try and find me. My heart cried. My eyes stayed dry. _I love you._ I wasn't going to hide it from him when he asked. I wanted him to know but I just couldn't tell the others just yet. A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets. Sleep wouldn't take me so I took it upon myself to sooth my injured soul. I crept to my C.D player and placed on a C.D that always reminded me of Baralai. The song was 'nearer my god than thee' ( song from titanic. The musicians play it as the ship sinks. That part and song makes me cry. I'm listening to it now) The violins played and crystal beads fell down my face. The days were truly longer without him. My journey so far, with Yuna's help, was piecing the answers together for me slowly. But, how long till we are complete. Together. I faded to sleep finally.

_" Nooj, how much longer do we have to sit here like lemons?" Gippal asked the captain. I was fed up of waiting too. Nooj stumbled over to us, scowling._

_" until we are completely sure that the coast is clear." he boomed. Baralai smirked._

_" Yeah Gippal! Because it hasn't been clear or anything for the last hour we sat here." Baralai chuckled sarcastically. Nooj shot him a dirty look but that didn't stop the two boys from having their fun. Finally we moved out. But it was wrongly calculated. Nooj stopped as a fiend approached us._

_" Oh man down!" Baralai yelled playfully as Gippal fell over backwards in surprise. Before anyone had a chance to reply the guns were already firing._

_" Ammo!" Baralai shouted as his fire ceased. Gippal looked over his shoulder to him._

_" I'm out!" the younger replied. I remember rolling my eyes at their misfortune._

_" This is it!" Nooj pessimistically replied. Nothing like group moral._

_" Don't give up!" Baralai yelled._

_" Who me?" Gippal scoffed. Even in these situations they had their fun. " Now what?"_

_" After you." Baralai offered._

_" Scared?" Gippal asked._

_" Bang!" Baralai yelled pretending to fire his gun. Gippal nearly died with fright. After all it was the loudest 'Lai ever raised his voice. It was with that I noticed Nooj give up. He walked towards the fiend. Ready to be ripped to shreds. I couldn't let it happen. I shot with my gun I was given. The other two gasped. I was a recorder. I could have been fired for that. But I didn't care. Nooj was going to die._

_" _To Bikinel!" Rikku yelped. Yevon, after last nights dream I really didn't want to go back there. Too many memories. _Memories are nice but that's all they are._ Oh great! Gippal's back. I thought my head had stopped these stupid comments but apparently not. Yevon! I sighed out loud.

" What's wrong?" Yuna asked. She didn't bug me that much but it was in my airs to be blatantly rude or she would go on all the calm about how to solve my problems.

" Really must you ask? Bikinel, Yuna! Hot sand and digging. You do remember we're sphere hunters right?" I asked her. She nodded and backed away.

" Gullwings, Make me proud!" Brother yelled and dropped us off at a random spot of sand. We walked forward slowly and Rikku looked around suspiciously. I had a bad feeling about this. I had lived in the desert for a while during crimson squad times and I knew trouble was in every grain of sand.

" Bikinel Island. This is where the Al Bhed's beloved home stood until two years ago." Yuna commented to me. I listened, pretending I had never set foot here before. For Yuna and for the guys. "Most have moved on but, a handful of Al Bhed still live here today." Wow really Yuna. There's me thinking we were here to visit the Guado! _ Dr P. harsh!_ Oh shut up! " they say countless machina lay buried under the desert sands" She concluded. Suddenly I knew that we would be in for a rough ride.

" Leave the trail blazing to me!" Rikku cried. Okay so she was an Al Bhed, but she was still Rikku. Still I had no choice but to trust her._ "No one knows the sands quite like the Al Bhed," Baralai told me one night when I questioned Gippal's direction. I smiled and leaned back into his hug. I wish I could treasure that moment forever._

" Um, I don't think that sand dune used to be there!" Rikku pointed out, shaking me from my daze...unfortunately. _ "Wow the stars are so much brighter out here!" I exclaimed one evening to Gippal. He just laughed. To him I was a city girl learning about the 'real world' as he put it. Guess he was right. I missed Gippal's antics so much._

It seemed like forever we had been walking now.

" Rikku, you do know the way, right?" I dared to ask. No response.

" Um, Rikku, are we in trouble?" Yuna asked he voice betrayed her concern. Rikku nervously giggled. _Oh great, i've been practising a speech for years to say to Baralai and now i'm going to die! Lovely._ We must have ran until our legs gave way. I don't really remember. Its a blur with the heat and lack of water. _I saw your face then. I thought I was going to die but I saw you there like you were two years ago. I could have cried only I needed the liquid to remain in said body._

" He says they had to move the camp to escape a sand storm. We could have looked forever and never found it." Rikku told me and Yuna believing I didn't speak Al Bhed. Too bad she'll never know who taught me. " oh, sounds like there's a big sandstorm coming in. Sounds like its too big for the airship to handle." Rikku complained to Yuna.

" I guess we wont be leaving the way we came." I responded._ Wow, stuck in the desert with Spira's two most annoying people._ I wish It was You here instead of them. I know its wrong but I miss you.

_He shot you first._


	6. Existance

Its here. A Baralai chapter. Yes, people dear Paine is one step closer to being with her dear Baralai. Who else gets annoyed that you can't explore Bevelle? It looks like you would have to go through the temple to get to the town the way the game shows it so i'm updating Bevelle.

Disclaimer: Don't own Final Fantasy X-2 or Baralai.

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Bevelle. My home town actually. And Yuna's. And yours. I wonder if you're here right now. But you know what fate is like, I could searched every street and then you could walk right behind me and we could never meet. But my winning streak from finding Gippal might be here still. Yuna is my lucky charm after all. We walk the long road into the city and up to the city doors leading to the courtyard of the temple. Monks bow to Yuna. Rikku's just in awe because she walked into Bevelle without being arrested for being an Al Bhed. We reach a priestess who rushes forward in nervousness and trips over her feet.

" L-Lady Yuna? Please, this way" She stuttered and led us towards the temple entrance. Nice, not even a hello for me and Rikku. Suddenly I find myself remembering the way we first met, properly, not the time I told you to shove that staff somewhere inappropriate because you knocked me over. That was before we were put into groups.

_You turned extremely red when I walked over to the group. I think you thought I really was going to kill you because you started to defend yourself suddenly._

_" Miss, I'm really sorry if I've hurt or offended you but rash actions would not be wise for either of us." You almost begged. Its not like you would hit a lady though. I burst out laughing as did Gippal, although I didn't know he was Gippal yet. I smiled then but it was a short, sarcastic smile._

_" if you insist, but i'm actually here because i'm your recorder so you better not pull that stunt again. Got it?" I added threateningly. Gippal had to put a stop then. You and him had already made a bond apparently. I guess Nooj hadn't spoken yet. _

_" Whoa, hold it there love birds. We got a mission to start." Gippal smugly added. I liked this guy already. Not!_

_" This is rough" Baralai said, ten minutes into the mission, which was a drill._

_" Isn't team three getting a little carried away." Gippal replied. " I thought this was supposed to be a drill." Yup, and team three had almost killed everyone already. Suddenly a grenade hit near us and Gippal toppled over._

_" Hey, aren't you and Al Bhed." Baralai remarked. The blonde hair and green eyes did give a slight hint. Sarcasm. " Why are you trying out for the Crimson Squad?"_

_" Hey the Al Bhed wanna protect Spira too." Gippal said defensively. " I wanted to be a crusader, but apparently we're er, not eligible." He remarked. " Besides, no one can handle one of these babies like an Al Bhed can." Baralai looked down at the gun in his hands. Obviously I didn't know his name then._

_" Machina. Even if the maester's okay with it, what about everyone else?" He asked thoughtfully._

_" Shut up! We're get reported." Nooj barked at you. Apparently that just made you talk more. Gippal wanted me to cut off that part._

_" My names Baralai. I'm from Bevelle. You?" Baralai said to Nooj._

_" I've seen this a hundred times" Gippal said to me. I smiled. " Yup, a lot of people would sooner shoot an Al Bhed then tell them their name." Gippal said loud enough for Nooj to hear. To be honest I was surprised Baralai, an obvious yevonite had said his name in front of Gippal. Nooj laughed._

_" It's Nooj." he sourly replied._

_" THE Nooj!" Baralai gapped. _

_" Er hey Nooj, My name is Gippal." Gippal said. Baralai edged towards me. Apology written in his eyes._

_" And you?" he asked me._

"Oh, the high summoner!" A nearby priest on watch exclaimed. What is it with these people, always knocking me out of my fond memories. " I see you finally decided to join New Yevon! You do us much honour my lady. Lord Braska, may he rest in peace, would be proud. I will summon the Praetor immediately, I beg your leave." That was creepy. I really hope Baralai hasn't mingled with these New Yevon nutters. Their leader must be a right crackpot!

" Pushy isn't he!" Rikku exclaimed as we waited outside the temples massive doors. I had to admit I was intrigued to know who the new Praetor was. All these new leaders and Gippal was one of them. Yevon knows, this Nooj of the youth league will turn out to be my Nooj.

" We should leave!" Yuna stated, wandering around nervously. I wonder why?

" Why? What's the matter, Yunie?" Rikku asked, grabbing her cousins arms.

" Well you see, there was this arrangement um, with the son of the chairman of New Yevon. I turned the offer down but I thought it would be kind of awkward." Yuna replied shyly. When Yuna says arrangement she obviously means proposal.

" Yuna!" Rikku giggled. " Hum?"

" Your probably right. Lets go." I agreed. I wouldn't want my lucky charm to get embarrassed now would I?

" Huh, No. Wait. Uhhhh." Rikku whined just as I heard the doors begin to open. I turned slowly. The doors opened to reveal- Baralai! Are you kidding. He's the crackpot! Oh My Yevon, Oh My Yevon. Its him, its him, its him! In my head I was pointing and jumping up and down somewhat like Rikku. I will remind myself to mentally slap me later! _But its HIM HIM HIM! _Just act cool. Stoic. Ignore him, yeah. Act mad that he never looked for you all these years you thought he was dead. Git! _But I still love you. _ Did Rikku just gasp? Minus ten respect points for hitting on my ex and future boyfriend! I didn't say it!

" A pleasure lady Yuna. I am Baralai. Praetor of New Yevon." He introduced, bowing at Yuna. Still a smooth talker I see. Note to self: stop melting on the spot!

" So you're the chairman's son?" Rikku asked still bowing stupidly. Then again, I was doing a goofy grin in the opposite direction, were no one could see me.

" Ah, as it happens the chairman has recently resigned. As did his son, the Praetor." phew, for a minute I was guessing he was Yuna's secret proposal. He must have noticed me by now! "They were trying to take too much power. We had to ask them to leave. Now the younger members run the party, by mutual consensus of course." Oh great, a history lesson. SNORE! This doesn't sound like me but I just wanted to leap at him and pull him into one of those amazing kisses and then tear that horrible robe right off him and- Paine!!. I can tell he recognises me by his tone when he got to the 'now the younger members stuff.'

" i'm sorry to hear that." Yuna replied. I can tell by her tone she is smiling. Real smooth there Yuna.

" So you see Lady Yuna, it is not I who was meant to marry the high summoner." He added with an amused voice. Trust Baralai to know why a young woman dies at his gaze, other than because he is incredibly hot. _Paine, you're meant to be mad at him._ Oh yeah, right, sorry.

" Oh, My!" Yuna exclaims and from the corner of my eye I can see Rikku silently giggling and ogling the Praetor herself. Minus twenty.

" Not that we wouldn't appreciate your support. On the contrary, it would be most welcome." He continued. This man could smooth talk the stars out of the sky. " I understand if your feelings towards Yevon are mixed. But I hope that you could put that aside and join our cause. The world is changing and there are many who are finding it difficult to keep up. New Yevon wishes to help those who feel lost in the winds of change. If you'll excuse me there are matters that require my attention. Oh and should you come across any spheres of Spira's past, please do let us know. My Lady" he finish, finally. I forgot how much he liked to talk. He paused before walking off. I guess he was hurt that I was ignoring him.

" Ohh, so what do you think?" Rikku giggled obviously talking about Baralai and not New Yevon. Oh how the respect points are dropping. Minus thirty.

" W-What? Paine?" Yuna ran over to me.

" I think I've heard enough. What now?" Well I couldn't say 'oh sure Yuna he's hot' or 'back away before I hurt you' could I? Why am I so happy for once. _ Because you found the love of your life...again! _Joy. Just when I though we were leaving,suddenly I'm facing Mr hot crackpot leader himself so Yuna can talk.

" They may call me Praetor, but this job requires me to be a jack-of-all-trades." He told no one in particular. " Ah, its not much, but have this as a token of my friendship." He said giving Yuna a tiara. Silently wondering why a man has a tiara up his sleeve but anyhow. " Not that I would ever think you were one to be swayed by such simple gifts." He laughed. Yuna and rikku turned to board the lift again and I turned around to see you smile and the wink at me. _Yevon, I love that smile._

_Why don't you join us?_


	7. Our reunion

Its here after a long wait. Hehe sorry about that. Funny story really, I blew up my speakers on my laptop so I couldn't watch You-tube and get all the quotes perfect so I waited till now!!

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Disclaimer: I don't own it!!

Yuna was determined to disrupt the lives of all the political powers in Spira it seemed. Everyday we were in a new location doing something irrelevant to our goal, well not that we really had a goal. I know Yuna's searching for some random guardian and I'm searching for the truth about what happened in the past. _To you guys_ And then there'sRikku, who knows what she's searching for but I'm pretty sure Gippal has something to do with it. Its been about a week since I met Baralai again. I can't stop thinking about him no matter what I do. Rikku's suspicious of me because I've taken to the Mi'ihen highroad a lot recently. Training keeps _you_ out of my mind for a little while but- _We'll always be there for you Paine._ That's what I repeat to myself every night guys. All those things you said to me. _You'll never be alone_. But I am. I'm surrounded by all of Spira, the high summoner, the Al Bhed Princess- everyone but I'm so alone and I wont be complete again, till we are. _Some thing's are better left the way they are, Paine. _Why? Why am I still hearing this? Everywhere I go lies questions yet no answers. I'm so alone.

" Kilika! Gullwings move out!" Brother's yell once again brings me to present. Yuna wants to go to Kilika for some 'awesome sphere' that Buddy has heard about. The crazy cousins are visibly excited about the whole event. To be truthful I am too but... How can I feel so happy with everything that's happening around us? I know Nooj would disprove of the two girls careless attitudes. Gippal would laugh and lead the way, being so like Rikku, and Baralai would probably be astonished that Yuna and Rikku haven't been arrested as potential streakers in Bevelle. I know he was putting on an act in Bevelle, Yevon the guy pounced on me with a blanket once when I left the tent in just some shorts and a tank top so his head must have been screaming when Yuna and Rikku waltz up to him in their garments that could be mistaken for a belt.  
"I wonder what this awesome sphere is like?" Yuna giggled as she skipped over to Rikku who was also giggling. Over a sphere? Really?

"Well, its definitely awesome!" Rikku laughed and the two jumped around Kilika like squatter monkeys. I am not with these people.

"It will be wont it?" Yuna asked Rikku. Yevon, can't they hurry up.

"Keep this up and someone will beat us to it." I firmly stated and walked onwards. Its for their own good really. I couldn't see them but I could sense the fear. I love the respect points.

"S-Sorry, Uh Sorry. Hey, wait up!" Rikku yelled behind me. I smiled to myself, got them moving at last. This sphere has obviously conjured up some publicity. We climbed up some steep stairs to reach the higher levels and bumped into some muscle man who's girlfriend had kicked him out. 'Surprisingly' Yuna knew them both. I was ready to leave after that man had run off but Yuna being so helpful had to go inside the hut to check on the situation.

"Meyvn Nooj's briefing will begin shortly" Some young guy at the gate told us. _Nooj, My Nooj? It can't be._

"These are all sphere hunters?" Yuna asked as we approached a large crowd outside the woods.

"I don't think so." I told her, although I wasn't really paying attention I just wanted to know who this 'Nooj' was. _I know he- but maybe I could forgive him._ Gippal would but I know Baralai will hold his hatred for Nooj for a long time.

"Look over there! Who's that?" Rikku asked pointing to a man wearing red, Half machina and carrying a grievous expression.

"Nooj." I whispered. _It really was him._ I felt the pains return. The hurt, the anger, everything. If it wasn't for him we would have still been together. A group, friends. _ Captain. Its fits. Like a glove._ What kind of captain betrays his crew mates? _Nooj._

"Meyvn of the youth league, right?" Yuna asked me, proud that she knew who she was listening too. _Backstabber more like._ I hated him right now, but I also kind of pitied him too.

"Greetings friends." Nooj slowly began in a friendly voice, if that's even possible. "An important sphere is hidden in Kilika temple." _Oh, get others to steal it for you right,Nooj?_ "A sphere documenting the true history of Spira. We are here today to demand New Yevon make the contents of that sphere public." Baralai obviously has no knowledge of Nooj's intentions or he would be stopping him immediately. "Yet, as always, the voice seeking truth goes ignored. My friends I ask you, Why?" I knew he would be a politician._ He's too deceitful and outgoing_ _but Baralai?_ I never would have expected him to be Nooj's opposition. "Because New Yevon wants to hide the truth. Just as the temples did before them." Isn't that a contradiction? New Yevon is the temples only with another name._ I-I could never follow Yevon but, secretly I fully understand its purposes. What Baralai said is right, people who followed the temples all their life do not know where to turn. New Yevon gives them a home and a job and a silent faith. Even if its fake, its some how peaceful. Why must one moron (Nooj) ruin serenity for the rest?_

"I tell you now, This has gone on long enough. My friends, stand with me and together we will bring the truth back to the people." _My friends. How can he say that to a bunch of hard headed strangers but not once did he say it too us?_ Was it even real?

"But lets not over do it. Our opponents aren't as young as they used to be." He joked._ It sounds dull. First he wants to drop dead and now he's looking for excitement. _

We pushed through the crowds into the woods. Most the paths were blocked except a narrow one we found. We were near the temple when Rikku announced that she heard voices through the bushes. We stopped to listen. Luckily the voices where soldiers who had forgotten the password to get to the temple._ Why do I feel so bad about raiding the temple. Is it because of you? Or is it just not the right thing to do?_

Yevon, the security was high! They must have asked us that password at least five times. Maybe Baralai really did know about the youth leagues plans. After all, they were hardly discrete.

"Which is why I keep telling you-" A monk, obviously high priest, was telling the muscle man's girlfriend as we neared the top of the steps.

"Shut up. Just gives us the sphere and we're be on our way." She demanded- wait she looked familiar. I swear she was on the S.S Winno with us when we were on our way to-

"I don't know what you're talking about." The priest exclaimed, he did know though.

"Hey, I found the sphere!" A man yelled and ran down the stairs.

"There you have it." The muscle man's girlfriend replied.

_The earth shook. _

_" Sandworms!" Gippal yelled and dived in front of me, pushing me out of the way from a giant mouth coming nearer to me._

_"Gippal are you okay?" Baralai asked after I had assured him I was perfectly fine but a little shaky. _

_"Tysh Cyhtfunsc!" (Damn Sandworms) he scolded wrapping his hand up in a bandage._

_"Um, Thanks Gippal." I whispered, standing behind Baralai in case the Al Bhed was mad at me. Gippal grinned and waved his finger._

_"Just remember next time Dr P. Usually the ground shaking means trouble. Either get ready to fight or run. 'Kay?" He smiled._

"I had a little something prepared for just such an occasion. Nice knowing you." The priest taunted leaving a machina charging towards the crowd. We ran but the machina caught up with us too soon.

"Lets take this one apart!" Rikku joked and dived at the machina swinging her heavy warrior sword. That sword always reminded me of Gippal. The pattern matched his shirt. It didn't take more than a few powerful hits for the thing to dismantle, it was rather slow.

"Ha, how do ya like that?" Rikku smugly grinned at the broken machina and the priest lying on the floor next to it.

"Not bad at all!" Yuna cheered. I remained silent, sword swung over shoulder. _Talk about defying Yevon._

"Just what do you think you're doing?" The demanding woman asked as Yuna raised her gun in the air. She smiled shyly.

"Actually, we're sphere hunters." Yuna admitted.

"So?" The woman asked as Yuna swung cutely from side to side to avoid the image of killer high summoner.

"Gullwings, lets go!" She yelled as we went into our ever famous pose. "Sorry Dona, the sphere is ours." Dona, I remember now, the former summoner. Suddenly, Brother flies the airship just above us ready to leave. The other two ran to the ship, skipping past the sphere the man still had. I made a grab for it smiling.

"Tough luck!"


	8. Predicament

Well here it is. Now should I return the sphere to Baralai or Nooj. Mmn. Well Nooj equals 100 percent but Baralai is Paine's secret love.

Disclaimer: Not mine in anyway!

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"Whoo hoo! Did you see their faces?" Rikku shrilled. "They totally wet their pants!"

"Maybe we overdid it?" Yuna spoke my thoughts aloud but, you know Rikku. Scarily like Gippal. So stubborn. Must be an Al Bhed thing.

"Overdid it?" Brother cried. "There's no such thing! The Gullwings shall be notorious throughout Spira." He rejoiced, voice booming and echoing of the metallic walls.

"They weren't all that happy." I told Brother, who wasn't even really listening._ At least you guys listened to me._

"Huh?" Rikku questioned, looking bewildered that her and Brother were the only happy people aboard.

"Don't forget that notoriety can be a bad thing." I told them, walking off towards Shinra so he could analyse our sphere.

"So what? I want to have fun!" Brother cried again. Yup, definitely an Al Bhed trait.

"Just make sure you don't do anything to land us in hot water, okay?" Brother asked 'our leader' and his 'ever faithful assistant'.

"Aww, where's the fun in being plain, old, regular sphere hunters?" Said assistant whined, dancing around the bridge. Brother made an indescribable sound in agreement to Rikku.

"What she said!" He yelled, doing a superhero pose. Oh dear Yevon...

"Oh No!" I muttered. When the siblings agreed, bad stuff happened. Quite like the guys really. Well, Gippal and Baralai anyway.

_"Aww, come on Noojster! Lighten up." Gippal taunted Nooj one hot,dry day stuck in the desert. Nooj growled in the back of his throat._

_"Gippal, these missions are hard and dangerous as it is without you two acting like a couple of teenagers." He asserted._

_"Noojster, we __**are**__ teenagers. And you are too, unless you forgot. Relax."__ Gippal soothed in a chilled tone._

_"Come on, Nooj. It was only a bit of fun." Baralai piped up from the rock he was sitting on. "And it wasn't like we had anything to do anyway." He complained._

_"Like it or not, a sand fight during these missions is not appreciated." Nooj sourly advised. "It was neither the time, nor place."_

_"Yeah, well what else can we do in the desert?" Gippal grinned at me and 'Lai and then walked into his tent._

"How'd the sphere analysis go?" Yuna asked Shinra. The kid spun round in his chair to face her.

"Um, its just a regular movie sphere. Doesn't appear to have any special functions. You wanna take a look?"

* * *

"Fryd eh Spira ec dryd machina?" (What in Spira is that machina?) Brother questioned shaking. _A machina that growled and trembled-like a beast._ It couldn't be. Was, was this the same machina that the guys saw in the den?

"Any idea's." Buddy asked us. I-I could feel the goosebumps forming. It might not be but, what if it was the same machina?

"_I'm glad you're alright" Nooj told me as I finally found them._

_"You're not mad?" I asked him. I did just save their lives in effect._

_"Mad?" He questioned me._

_"I kept you from dying." I softly replied._

_"You can owe me one." He slightly smiled back. I was relieved._

_"Why did you follow us?" Baralai stood up and asked. I wanted to shout, 'Because I love you guys.' I did. I loved them all in a separate way. Maybe it hurt me most because the guy I loved the most had asked me this._

_"I want to know, what it was you all saw back there." Is what I settled for, equally true._

_"Problem is, we don't know." Gippal leaped up and replied._

_"We'll figure it out one of these days. We'll tell ya then." Baralai gently promised me._ But what if- I had figured it out first.

"Not a one. But as machina go. It looks extremely dangerous." Shinra replied. _Extremely dangerous indeed_ "It's definitely a weapon." It must be connected. I can feel it. Its bursting throughout my body. Its indescribable. Its so strong I just know that, whatever this machina is, it was the same one that nearly got the guys killed.

"E tuhd mega drec cbrana." (I don't like this sphere) Brother complained to Buddy. Yuna looked lost in a world of her own. Maybe, I was too.

"Gullwings! Front and centre." Brother called, doing a strange Saturday night fever dance to match. "So, I- Let's give back the sphere. What do you say?" Brother asked us. Typical. Figures that we would bust a gut to get the damned sphere and now out leader wants to take it back.

"But we worked so hard to get it!" Rikku pouted. I agreed with brother, that sphere was bad news.

"That thing is uber bad news!" He whined. Yevon, things are bad when I agree with anyone, let alone brother.

"What if we donated the sphere to the study of Spira's history. That's what being a sphere hunter was originally about, right?" Buddy, ever the voice of reason, added. I dunno. That sphere could cause panic if it were to be seen by the wrong set of people. And by that I mean the youth league.

"Its a little late to be bringing _that_ up." I told him, eager to bypass this whole scenario. Maybe i'll go to bed for a couple of days and then it will all be over.

"Yeah we already swiped it!" Rikku reminded.

"Er, I still don't want it! We're giving it back. Now!" Brother added. Okay, maybe I wont get that well earned rest.

"You don't mind?" Rikku asked her calm cousin who had just agreed to 'donate' the sphere back.

"I've seen it." She smiled. Brother sighed in relief. Buddy on the other hand must have read my thoughts.

"It's still pretty shameless to saunter up and give back the sphere we just stole." Although I agreed, I would love to remind him that giving it back was his idea.

"Oui pa jiead!" (you be quiet) Brother growled. Some leader.

"Our reputation is none but worthless if we do that. Our leaders too, no less." I subtly teased. Again, I just didn't want Yuna to come to the wrong conclusion and give Nooj the sphere.

"Crid id!"(shut up) He screamed. Luckily, I don't give a damn what he thinks.

"Well now, this isn't any fun at all!" Yuna complained. Slightly out of character if you ask me.

"I really gotta let off some steam!" Whined the cheery Al Bhed.

"What have you got in mind?" Buddy asked, always eager for things to amuse him.

"Why don't we ask Yuna to dance?" Shinra suggested. Great, all I needed to hear. Why not 'fight some fiends', 'annoy a hypello', 'pray at the temple' anything but watching Yuna dance! It really wasn't as great as people thought it was. Seen it once, seen it a hundred times.

"Dance?" She exclaimed in shock, although it was obvious she wanted to.

"Oh, that's it. Yuna, you must dance! Our sanity depends on it." Brother dramatically begs. Looks like Yuna's a bit late in saving his sanity.

"That sounds like an order, Yuna." I teased again. What the heck, it might be nice to do nothing for a while.

"The exercise will do us good." She grinned. Brother cheered and literally started breakdancing.

"Hang tight while I go get ready." She cried and left out of my vision to get ready. Hm, reminds me of the time Gippal almost-

_"'Lai, get off your lazy butt and dance with me." Gippal cried over the fire at a very amused Baralai. He shook his head defiantly._

_"No way. Watching you make a fool of yourself is fun enough without joining in thanks, Gip." He chuckled, fighting off Gippal's reaching arms, begging for a dance partner._

_"Your loss bud. This is how we Al Bhed attracted members of the other sex." He grinned, shaking his hips in front of my face._

_"When you say attract, you obviously mean attack, right?" I giggled softly, noticing Baralai's shocked and slightly jealous face at the attention I was giving Gippal. Well,it was a rare event when I smiled, let alone giggled._

_"What do you mean by that?" He huffed, hands on hips in a stropping pose._

_"Gippal, you're literally raping the air around you." I exclaimed before falling into a laughing fit with Baralai and even Nooj who took Gippal's response as extremely funny. He was standing in front of me pouting like no one's business and then broke out into a surprise grin._

_"Yeah, well. I'm the best damn thing the air has ever seen." He winked and when back to shaking around the camp, occasional wiggling his butt in front of a disgusted Nooj._

I must remember to tell Rikku that.


	9. A promise returned

Another chapter. Yeah! For all those who still read this I give you invisible cookies and copyright ownership of your favourite character on Wednesdays, I wish. Anyway, I battled endlessly with myself about who to give the sphere too. I know Nooj equals complete score but I hate his reaction so- I think you know where this is headed. BTW, Watch the sphere handed to New Yevon on youtube. When Baralai says 'Do not be afraid' onwards, who do you think he's looking at and is that Paine smiling?

Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy X-2 or any characters, except Baralai- he's here with me now.

Baralai: Um, Hello faithful readers.

Me: Baralai, sorry but you got to disappear into my story again. I'll miss you.

Baralai: Aw, but you're more fun then visiting Paine (The writer has cookies)

Me: I know but this is a Paralai fic not a fan girl obsessed fic.

Baralai:(Tuts) Fine but if Paine hurts me I'm not going back to Spira. (jumps into story)

Me: hehe, better not tell him about the Bevelle fight scene then....

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Okay, so Yuna totally flipped her lid last night. We had spent the night listening and watching Yuna and Rikku sing and dance and basically, and it pains me to admit it, having a good time. Yuna says she needs a time out and sits on the edge of the deck peacefully. Out of nowhere the crazy girl cried "Who the heck is Lenne!" and then announced her departure to bed. Kinda understandable considering everything we saw in that sphere but then, this morning, me and Rikku went to wake her so we can 'decide who to donate the sphere to' and she was tossing and turning in her bed, still in her songstress dress sphere. I have concerns for that girl. _I really don't feel right about giving this sphere to the youth league though._ After much persuasion, our course was set to- Bevelle. When the Celsius arrived in Bevelle it looked like all of New Yevon had arrived to greet us. Everyone except Baralai. The streets looked like a christmas parade. Nun after nun bowed in appreciation to Yuna. Monks grinned in respect and ushered her forward.

"Wow, they're pulling out all the stops!" Rikku exclaimed whilst doing a little dance that was completely embarrassing.

"I wonder why?" Yuna replied stupidly. Honestly, modest she may be but any normal person would understand that being famous has its perks and also its downfalls.

"You're the high summoner, remember?" I told her, stepping towards dumb and dumber._ I wonder how he will react when we return the sphere. I mean last time we met I was pretty rude to him, but he didn't even check to see if I was alive. Why should I care about him? _Yuna walked over to some nuns who were worshipping her. From the left I overheard a conversation between buddy and Brother.

"Ymm draca Yevon pymteac yna sygehk sa hanjuic. Buddy said to Brother who turned angrily back. (All these Yevon Baldies are making me nervous.)

"Dyga ed ayco. Cruf cusa lmycc syh." Brother snapped back before waking away. (Take it easy. Show some class man)

Uh, why was Brother defending Yevon's sorry butt. The Al Bhed were persecuted because of Yevonites. And show some class? That's the last thing Brother possesses. Anyway, before long I found myself walking into the temple, greeted by a solemn Baralai who secretly smiled at me when Yuna was looking down at her boot laces and Rikku was distracted by something that resembled a gil. Baralai, what a player. Well to me anyway.

"Gullwings, I welcome you." He said whilst doing the prayer. Okay, someone is definitely trying to get on our good sides. Presents, smiles and calling us Gullwings instead of 'High summoner and other random people I have yet to meet'. When he finished the prayer he stood looking very important. _Now Paine, resist urges to laugh._

"This is the sphere from Kilika temple." Yuna said, holding out the sphere to Baralai. He took it graciously but I could sense he was uneasy. This sphere was never meant to be seen by the likes of us. Or was it? Was it fate that brought us to that sphere or our continual good luck charm, Yuna?

"Thank you. Its not every day that you meet hunter who are willing to bring back a sphere they stole." He said with a hint of laughter in his voice at the end. Knowing him he was thinking that stealing a sphere was a typical day to day routine for me now. How can he even look me in the face?

"Well its a long story." Yuna began and I had the feeling she was ready to recount our adventure to poor Baralai._ No Paine. Not poor Baralai. What has he done to deserve your trust?_ Wow. I just realised how screwed up my head is.

"You helped us keep the sphere out of the hands of the Youth League. I'm willing to leave it at that. You've been of great help high summoner." Wise man. We would have been here for weeks otherwise. Not that I wouldn't mind spending a few weeks with a certain Preat-

"Excuse me, her names Yuna and she's a Gullwing." Rikku lent in front of Yuna to say. I personally think that she was just eyeing up Baralai. Minus... a lot of respect points.

"Ah forgive me." He gently said. _I did so long ago Baralai. If only you knew that._ "By the way have you seen the contents of the sphere?" He asked in a soft but commanding voice, one that would make your mouth betray your deepest secrets before your mind even knew you had spilt them.

"Yes!" Yuna replied instantly. I wasn't to worried about Baralai's reaction, I knew he would understand.

"Then, I suppose I have a little explaining to do. What you saw is vegnagun. A weapon built roughly one thousand years ago." He said with his back to us. I think Yuna and Rikku thought it was for dramatics, I knew differently.

_"Why did you follow us?" _

_"I wanted to know, what it was you all saw back there."_

_"Problem is we don't know."_

_"We'll work it our one of these days. We'll tell you then."_

I don't know how long he had known, but I know he felt like he had left his promise a little too late. Maybe he wanted to tell me but I was nowhere to be found. Maybe, maybe now was his way of telling me. Not Yuna or Rikku or anyone else, but me. That's why he was looking away. Because he couldn't face me in person without seeing a little bit of hurt in my eyes. He felt, like he broke his promise.

"Its currently being held under tight security. The location is, of course, highly classified." he said not turning around.

"I see Yevon still likes its secrets." I spoke aloud. Ah, that wasn't meant to come out! Great, my first words to him in two years are those that insult his political party- that he is the leader of! Good work Paine! Wait, did he just, chuckle? At me?

"True, The youth league would like nothing more than to use Vegnagun to control Spira." He replied, obviously shaking himself out of a fond memory. One probably similar to mine. I wonder if my voice plagued him until our meeting? "But do not be afraid. We will stop them at all costs." He assured, emphasising every word with power beyond his years. He spoke every word to me and I slowly began to feel myself smile.

"Tell me, who was the man I saw in the sphere?" Yuna asked, like Baralai would know than. Honestly, Yuna and her dream guy.

"I- couldn't say." Baralai answered, turning to face Yuna.

"I see." She sadly replied and the temple doors swung open, making me and Baralai automatically look up. Desert nights do make you more observant you know.

"Hey, we got a distress signal from the Celsius. Gullwings, we're leaving." Buddy said and I ran out of the temple.

And I didn't look back.

_People who want happy endings have to write their own._


	10. Celsius break in

Well, I was going to miss this part out but considering one of my reviewers said they wanted to know what Paine thought, here we go. After this bit i'm missing out lots of mini missions and focusing on main issues.

* * *

"Intruders. Anything mishing. Still investigating." Barkeep said as we stood in the engine room, surveying the damage.

"It's official, we've been burgled." Shinra announced. Burgled? How? All we did was visit Bevelle. Typical, I see him for under three minutes and I get robbed. Maybe if someone was guarding the ship like we planned, maybe things wouldn't have gone missing. I mean, where was Barkeep? Shinra? Buddy? Uh, how frustrating.

"The broken sphere from the Zanarkand ruins is missing." Shinra continued. But, why would someone want a broken sphere? Apart from us that is.

"looks like the burglar left us a present." Buddy said,it was then I noticed a bright pink sphere with a familiar logo on. _Oh I knew she was trouble, that stupid little-_

_"Who's on top now, Dullwings? It will be a thousand years before you can take on the mighty Leblanc." She laughed._

_"_She got us." I said stunned. I can't actually believe that she stole our property and got away.

"Oh poopie!" Yuna pouted, hands on hips.

"Yuna! Don't talk like that." Said Rikku. A little hypocritical if you ask me. Anyway, its not like she's full on cursing. Or maybe i'm less effected because of all that time spent in the desert with three guys who, by the looks of it, liked to get injured.

_We were trekking along the Bikinel dunes endlessly, the only one who looked happy about this was Gippal. He said he felt nearer to home here. Obviously. Anyway, we trekked on for hours until._

_"Ow Mother fu-" Cried Gippal suddenly. I looked over at Baralai who was warring with himself weather to laugh or be concerned. Nooj was shaking his head in an annoyed manner but trying not to laugh none the less. I, had missed the entire scene and just captured Gippal falling over and out cold._

_"Think we should help him?" Baralai asked Nooj in a joking tone. For a rare moment Nooj smiled then nodded. Baralai cast a waterage spell over Gippal and then awaited Gippal's cries._

_"'Thats-not-very-Nice." He pouted up at all of us that were laughing._

_"What happened, Gippal? How could you be so careless?" I asked. He raised his arms in the air and walked off, ignoring me. I turned to Baralai who was still laughing._

_"It's not Gippal's fault, Paine. Its not everyday you tred on a rake in the desert is it?" He said smiling. It was then I had the image of Gippal grinning smugly about being back in the desert when all of a sudden this rake handle flies up and knocks him unconscious._ _I think I cried with laughter for half the day._

"I'm just copying you!" Yuna cried in defence.

"That's nice, and?" I asked. She looked upset.

"We're gonna take it back! No one messes with us!" Yuna cried out dramatically. Why is it that everyone in my life is so dramatic?

_Flashbacks!_

_Rikku crying when I ate her Hypello puffs,_

_Gippal declaring his love for Rikku,_

_Rikku crying when I ate her choco bar,_

_Baralai pouting when Gippal told him he stole his stuffed Chocobo,(Dramatic for Lai)_

_Rikku crying when I ate some cornflakes,_

_Gippal dancing around a campfire,_

_Rikku crying when playing hide and seek,_

_Nooj barking in his sleep,_

_Rikku crying when I ate her sugar,_

_Yuna dancing,_

_Rikku crying because Yuna was dancing,_

_Brother being Brother,_

_Rikku crying because Brother is her brother- understandable._

_End Flashbacks!_

_"_And what about Vegnagun?" I asked her, shaking the flashbacks away. Wow so many thoughts in under three seconds. Yuna thought for a moment then shook her head.

"We're forgetting who we are. We're sphere hunters. The gullwings!" As dramatical as that was, I agreed and we did that weird Gullwing dance we do.

"That's right. We shall take back what is stolen. It is the law of the sphere hunter." Brother scarily danced. "Now we go to chateau Leblanc, and attack in the name of honour!"

"Get our hiny's kicked in the name of honour." Shinra pointed out.

"Maybe we could sneak in, in disguise." Yuna added joyfully.

_"Maybe we could sneak in, in_ _disguise." Gippal said to Nooj and myself. Nooj shook his head furiously._

_"Gippal, how many times do I have to tell you. We are not sneaking into the dining tent again. Go steal off Baralai." He barked and then distanced himself away from us._

_"Paine, wanna help a friend?" Gippal grinned at me, I rolled my eyes but agreed to help._

_"In sneaking or stealing?" I asked warily. The Al Bhed scratched his neck nervously._

_"Or maybe in seducing?" The blonde replied. I raised an eyebrow to question where this was going. "I mean, you go into 'Lai's tent, you go all flashy eyelashes and pouting and then when he agrees to follow you off somewhere, I'll sneak in and steal the extra supplies he hides from me."_

_"Or- We could ambush him and then steal the supplies?" I logically argued. Gippal grinned and playfully punched me on the arm. We then crept over to the tent which 'Lai had the supplies 'hidden' in, laughing amongst ourselves. When we got to the tent flap we crouched down, Gippal making a silent gesture as he listened for signs of movement. Something was definitely there._

_"What are we doing ?" A voice behind me and Gippal whispered suddenly._

_"Stealing from 'Lai- 'Lai, hi buddy." Gippal grinned in embarrassment as he ran very quickly away from the yevonite who was hot on his trail._

"So we have to fly around until we find Leblancs gang-"

"Beat them up and steal their uniforms." I added on from Rikku. "Three of them." And now its mission time, and if i'm right, its a very long mission time. Yevon I miss the guys.


	11. Memorial

A/N quick update, long time coming I know.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the FFX-2 :D

* * *

"Hmm, well I see the Gullwings have guts." The too familiar voice echoed in my head. As real as all the other times. But this time was different... _'why are you still recording?'_ This time I was facing the real nightmare. This time, it was the real Nooj. "Our league members are out for blood. This is no place for pawns of Yevon." He continued as calm and collected as I remember. I could feel my blood boiling, torn between hatred and fear. It was the monster in front of me that had taken away everything we had known and come to trust. A monster, yet still a man.

"Pawns?" Yuna piped up, angered at any insinuation to her connection with Yevon. In that respect I could understand her, shaking off the bad to chase her past. We were the same._ 'We should split up...That would be wise.'_ "The gull wings work for no one." She announced, backed fully by Rikku.

"That's just the problem." Nooj began, ready to challenge even the high summoner. To Nooj, as I was already aware, everyone obeyed his theories. Whether then wanted to or not. "The calm comes and suddenly Spira is full of kids running around playing Pirates." I looked away, I didn't feel the need to listen any more, this man had already destroyed me once, I wont let him do it again.

"Why you!" Rikku growled, clenching her fists together. I stopped her, protecting her from the anger Nooj was so capable of causing.

"Rikku." I said, avoiding his gaze.

"Never thought you'd end up a sphere hunter." He said, directly to me. How funny that out of all the guys, he had to be the only one to actually acknowledge me in front of Rikku and Yuna. Hm, never thought you'd end up a sphere hunter...

_ "Once we beat sin the calm will come right? Got anything exciting planned?" Gippal asked as we sailed aboard the SS. Winno._ I remember how we all seemed to laugh back then over simple things.

_ "Haven't really thought about it." Baralai had responded quietly chuckling, appreciating the moments of peace we rarely received. _You acted so casual, like you knew we'd make it back alive. I guess we did. Barely. I didn't think about the calm then either, my mind was on now. All I could live for was the moment. Now I see you did it not to worry me. To protect me from the possibilities that lied ahead. No one could protect me from that.

_ "It sounds dull." Nooj barked across the deck. _You and Gippal jumped up laughing, I remember because I was laughing too.

_ "First he wants to drop dead and now he's looking for excitement." _You used to be so fun, did you die inside too? When we last met it was all business. Where is the 'Lai I used to know?

_ "Guess we'd better think of something fun to keep Nooj entertained. Huh?"_

_ "Brats."_Why were we laughing! I cried in my head. You changed everything Nooj. Now I'm just frozen in time, but what can I do?

_ "Why don't you join us?" _I wish I knew how.

Stepping closer to me I felt the shivers run down my spine, along to the bullet wound. Pulling his hand out I felt my breath draw. He handed me a sphere, much like the ones I used to record on.

"Its yours. Happy hunting." He said, pushing the orange sphere into my gloves. Without warning he just upped and left,leaving every question unnswered. _Its my life to throw away._

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You know him?" Rikku asked, clearly getting excited. This was the nearest to my past they would ever know. Sometimes I just thought of burying it all away in a box and never thinking about it again. No more thoughts about Baralai, nor Gippal. Never more would Nooj haunt me. _We're always with you Paine._ But the voices never leave me.

"Why should you care?" I asked, pacing away. There was no escaping from this one, clearly.

"Come on, there was something between you and him, right?" Wrong, couldn't be further From the truth. But how could I tell her that. The voices...they grow stronger. _'Put down your gun!'_ And the memories grow more vivid with them. '_You put down your gun'_

"Rikku." I growled, getting frustrated blocking out the thoughts. _Why did you follow us? _"I'll say this once ok? I consider you friends, and trust you. I even respect you. All right? I would think that'd be enough." _Where ever you are, I wont stop searching..._

"Well yeah, but don't you ever wanna know more about your friends?" The blonde curtly asked. _I want to know where you are. I want to tell you I love you. I want you to forget._

"Not really."I responded. _What's your name..._

"Well I do." She argued, grabbing my gloved hand. I still wasn't too into the whole, letting people touch me thing. "I wanna know more about you."

"What for? Who cares what happened in the past?" I care. More than I'd ever let them know. _I wanted to be a crusader, but apparently, we're not, er eligible..._

"There was something!" Yuna cried shocked. "Come on Paine! you can tell us. What happened?" _I said your work is done..._

"You disappoint me Yuna. I thought you were above that." _My names Baralai, I'm from Bevelle. You? _We were the same. Me and Yuna. One day, in time, she would understand that.

"Well, not anymore. I like asking questions." She responded much like another Al Bhed I was once very close to. _Scared?_

"You'll lose friends." _Bang!_

_ "_You think so? Never mind then." She said anxiously, backing off.

"Aww and I was looking forward to hearing the good stuff. Confessions of a shady past." Rikku teased. There was no good stuff, not anymore.

"You're a pain. Minus four respect points, Rikku." I hissed, scaring her.

"Uh oh. How many points left?" She asked.

"Forty-seven." I smirked, ready to leave this place.

"That's not a whole lot is it?" She said to Yuna, worried.

"Why don't you figure out how to get inside of there instead of my head." I asked, running my finger along the seal of the Den of Woe. I needed to know, to go back in. To put my ghosts to rest. All of them. _All of me._

"Maybe you need more spheres like that one." Yuna suggested, looking at the sphere Nooj gave me. My spheres. I was sure of it. My crimson spheres.

"It might open if we find them all." I added, memories...flooding past my eyes. _...and it growled, like a beast. _

"I still kinda wanna know what happened?" Rikku asked from behind me. I sighed and ignored her. _Run...Run!_

"That's forty-six."

I guess what hurts the most is I know none of us can solve this alone, yet we can't ever solve it together.

_I'd work you like dogs..._


	12. Enter the delusion

A/N: moving on directly past the leblanc stuff into the juicy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to final fantasy X-2

* * *

What started out as a mild adventure-

"Thank you, Leblanc."

Turned into something far more closer to heart than any of us could imagine.

"Anything for you, love." Leblanc sighed following Nooj longingly down the stairs of château Leblanc.

"Now I finally know the location of Vegnagun. Spira is in for a rough ride. Take care." Vegnagun..._ I want to know what it was that you all saw back there..._ Clearly Baralai couldn't be the only one who had found out something. The more I thought about it now, the clearer it was that Vegnagun was the thing they had seen. The beginning of our end. "_Then, I suppose I have a little explaining to do. What you saw is Vegnagun. A weapon built roughly one thousand years ago."_

"Yes love." Leblanc sighed again"_Its currently being held under tight security. The location is, of course, highly classified."_ I remembered every word you had said and it worried me. It worried me about Nooj's intentions. Somehow, everything was connected. Nooj walked out the door next to us, not really paying any mind as we were disguised.

"Oh, how long must we be apart. These days without you are not easy on me love." Leblanc continued to sigh, lovesick over the monster. _The youth league would like nothing more than to use Vegnagun to control Spira. _Its funny, but for that I believe you. We walked into the giant living room surrounded by tables of fruit. I could sense Rikku's eagerness to eat. Upon entering we were greeted by Leblanc's henchmen. To be honest, I didn't hear a word they said, or care. My mind was in a different place, running through the past and into the future. Vegnagun. Its all connected. The days in the sand ended but my heart was still there. It never left. _Paine._ I've been searching for so many answers for so long when they've been right in front of me. The guys; Nooj. _Paine?_ Gippal..._Paine_... Baralai..._Paine!_ I hear your cries.

"Paine!" Rikku yelled, startling me out of my remembrance. I noticed Yuna running back into the room, I wonder how long she had been gone for. "You still with us?" Rikku giggled.

"Forty two, Rikku." I threatened. The small girl backed off, waiting for her cousin to return to us. Leblanc's clowns continued to chat away, unaware we were imposters. The short one was barking, I caught odd words. We were here for a sphere. Nothing more.

"In the meantime, you, go make sure the switch panel is working." He barked at us. Yuna was dazed and asked for help. Thankfully not blowing our cover. Geez these guys were dumb. We made our way to the back of the room and discovered a switch. Disappointed when the switch didn't work, Rikku decided to kick the wall hard. Evidently she failed. I think it must be an Al Bhed quality, to act before you think. I remember the countless amount of time me or 'Lai had to rescue Gippal from his own plans.

"Rikku!" Yuna cried, loudly, as her cousin fell head first down some stairs into a secret passageway.

"Owie." The blonde cried, rubbing her head. "Who's idea was that?"

"Take it up with the boss." I replied, not really thinking about the current situation at all. The two girls stared at me.

"Boss?" Yuna asked a little confused.

"Uh, I've had this on too long. Lets change." I suggested, dazing between reality and fiction. It was strange, I could see the corridor clearly yet it swapped between sand swept deserts instantly. I knew where I was, yet I was lost.

_ "Keep up!" Nooj barked, directing us through a mild sandstorm. I was falling behind, drastically. I could just make out the outline of Gippal in front of me. I had tied a cloth in front of my mouth and nose to protect me from the sand. It was all fading away. I couldn't see them anymore and Nooj's bark was giving up. It was a mass of gold, gritty sand. It swirled around me, blowing the cloth away and forcing me down to the ground. I tried to scream for the first person I though of before the light began to fade away..._

_ "Baralai!" I yelled, sand lodging itself into my mouth and eyes. I huddled down into the ground. I was terrified. I couldn't see, all I could smell is sand, I couldn't breath. Everything went dark..._

"Hmm, Who's there? Ah the gullwings!" The two men behind us yelled, preventing us from going forward. I was forced back to reality, the red corridors appeared before my eyes again and I was mid-battle. _Concentrate!_ I heard Nooj bark. They wont ever leave me. I know they're alive, yet they wont leave me. Needless to say, we won and carried on our trek.

_ I opened my eyes again. They were sore, I felt like i'd been asleep a very long time. Above me I could make out the shapes of Gippal and Baralai watching me._

_ "Dr P. Come on." Gippal growled shaking me hard._

_ "Uh, Gippal." I said, my voice barely a whisper due to the sand I had consumed. My throat stung like sin._

_ "Paine!" I heard Baralai cry in shock and relief. I felt both the guys grab one of my hands each and laugh in relief about how they had thought they had lost me._

_ "How did you find me?" I croaked. Gippal snorted loudly._

_ "Did you really think we'd forget about you?" The cocky Al Bhed announced. "Anyway, I wasn't going to put up with a moody Baralai complaining all the way back to camp if you, ya know, kicked the bucket."_

_ "Thanks Gip, and there's me thinking you might actually care." I sorely replied, attempting to laugh._

_ "Paine. We'll never leave you." Baralai promised, squeezing my hand with conviction. "Where ever you are, I'll find you somewhere." He promised, whispering the last bit into my ear._

_ "Good to see you've come round. We'll be able to move on to the next base soon then." I heard Nooj mumbled. As harsh as it came out, I knew this was Nooj's way of telling me he was glad I was ok too. All I knew was this, they would never leave me. One way or another, we were always connected._

_ "Let's see. Total survivors of the final Crimson Squad selection exercise:zero, zilch, and zipall. Job done."_ Oh no. We had made our way to the bedrooms as I zoned back in and were watching a sphere. About my past. A cold shiver ran up my spine. Rikku and Yuna watched unknowingly whilst I felt my stomach churn. This sphere could give me away. Perhaps I should knock Yuna's hand and smash it, claim it an accident...

_ "You pinhead. Did you even count? Look. There are bodies missing. There should be three more candidates and their recorder" _Us. Nooj, Gippal, Baralai and me, their recorder. Back in the cave, we just ran. They would have killed us all to prevent the truth._ Run, Run!_ Worse, I recognised the voices to be those of Leblanc's henchmen. I felt my blood boil as the rest of the sphere played out. "It's a dud." I announced instantly, hoping that they'd believe the crimson squad was a made up sphere to distract the gull wings.

" Only naughty girls would scrounge through other people's bedrooms" The tall one, Logos announced. I felt hate block out their words as we began to fight. It was them. They were the reason we had run, split up. They broke us! _No, Nooj broke us..._ After the fight I suggested we split up and and look for the missing half a sphere. Rikku announced she found one and so did I. It made sense now.

"Now I get it. I was wondering why they'd bother stealing half a broken sphere." I said in thought, what was so important they would steal half a sphere.

"Of course! They already had the other half." Rikku cried, half annoyed, half surprised. Leblanc appeared at the side of the room. I felt another fight emerge. She was helping Nooj. She was out to control Spira like Baralai had said... We viewed the sphere. Vegnagun. I saw it. I had finally seen what the guys had. I had seen the monster that had nearly killed them. _Stop! Stop it._ Leblanc explained it all. Vegnagun. Hidden under Bevelle. Of course, where else would Yevon hide it.

So it was Baralai that was in control of its security after it all. It was a showdown. New Yevon versus the Youth League. Baralai versus Nooj. Somehow we'd dragged up a two year past of my two friends and with it a thousand year threat to humanity. Now we'd managed to side with Leblanc to save Spira from Vegnagun. We were on a journey, first stop to Bevelle. I knew what waited there. I would have to face a part of my past that killed me inside. I knew Baralai would never let us go up to Vegnagun and take it apart. He feared what it could do. He had two years to find out what happened. He was protecting it for safety. Not for war, for safety of humankind. And we were going to Bevelle. I would fight Baralai. It was a given. I had no choice, it was destined. I was being forced to stop you... 

_Do not be afraid. We will stop them at all costs._


	13. Internal Struggles

After a very very long awaited time. I present chapter 12! Although the script is identical I own no rights and this story needs the script in order to survive. The idea is purely mine.

Disclaimer: I own the world mwhaha! (No, I don't)

* * *

"It's obvious! We nab the head honcho. Then, we make him lead us toVegnagun, and...checkmate." Leblanc laughed bringing bile up to my throat. We were really going to do this. I knew Baralai. I knew he wouldn't go down without a fight, whatever the cost. My stomach was doing flips. Why did he have to be behind this? Why not someone else? Why not- why not Nooj...

"Not Bad." Yuna commented. My eyes felt heavy with grief, all this time I had managed to manipulate the former summoner to give Baralai a rest. Was it not I who suggested that the youth league were an unsuitable cause for our sphere. Despite my resent for Yevon I had to protect that which I had once loved- that which I still do love...

_I want to know what it was that you all saw back there...someday we'll tell you._

"I got no problem. Our target is the New Yevon praetor, Baralai!" One of Leblanc's men said. The other laughed heartily.

"A girly man like that doesn't stand a chance without his escort" The other added. I snapped.

"Careful, he's stronger than he looks." I warned. I could feel the anger escalating through my body. They had misjudged him, just like I had. But they had no right. I'm pretty certain he had some backstreet dealings into making his way as praetor but no one could deny he demanded respect. They shot me curious looks. I knew the image I was creating. First Nooj and now Baralai. Maybe they suspected me of being a socialite...hardly.

_"So Princess, what are you here for? To sing us to our rest?" Gippal laughed as we sat around the camp fire the first night we were acquainted. I felt my cheeks grow red with anger. I shot the Al Bhed a filthy look. He held his hands up in submission._ _"Woah, sorry lady. I was actually talking to Baralai. What are you, a failed priest?" Gippal lazily asked the quiet white haired boy. Baralai had shot him much a similar look to the one I had._

_"That. Is none of your concern." The teen growled softly, rising from his seat and walking back to his tent alone._

_"That was rude." I sternly said. How had they come from good friends to enemies in one afternoon._

_"I was curious. Isn't he a little ,um, 'delicate' to be in the desert." Gippal slurred. I sighed, clearly someone couldn't handle their two rations of Al Bhed beer._

_"None-the-less, apologise." Nooj barked from his seat nearest the tents. "I don't care what you all think of each other in real life as long as you work well as a team, that's all that matters." He shortly added, pulling himself up with his cane and walking off the tent. We were lucky, they had supplied us with a four person tent, perks of being the smallest group in the squad._

_"Evening Gippal." I said coldly, following our captain to the sleeping compartments. When I entered Baralai was already in his sleeping bag facing the tent wall. Nooj gave me a glare when I considered calling out the formers name to check he was alright._

"The Gullwings? I was wondering who was there." Baralai said, the vision of my torment waking me from my crimson daze. He looked at me, one look in my eyes had surely betrayed everything. He sighed. " You don't have to tell me. . You're here to destroy that which threatens all of Spira: Vegnagun. Am I right? If we could have destroyed it, we would have done so long ago. But Vegnagun must not be touched. Neither you nor Nooj seem to understand that." He said, exuberating every word. He really wanted to warn Yuna that what she was about to do would surely destroy all of Spira.

"You talked to Nooj?" I asked in disbelief. No, it couldn't be. Of all the squad Baralai was the least likely to forgive let alone talk with Nooj. Maybe it really was connected.

_Run...Run!_

"He...Can not be trusted." He urged, looking straight into my soul...

_"__Look out!" Nooj barked, pulling me out of the way of a rouge sandworm. Gippal tripped as he dived out the way, the sandworm pulling him towards the centre of the moving sand._

_"No!" I cried, running toward the blonde boy but being pulled back sharply by Nooj._

_"It's suicide. We have to cut our losses." He urged. I could feel tears threatening to fall. To lose a life so young when he could be save. What could we do – Bang!_

_"Baralai! You can't save him. Fool!" Nooj yelled, unwilling to lose his whole team._

_"I can try!" he yelled, shooting at the sandworm like a mad man, Gippal was on the floor exhauster as he tried with all his might to hold onto the edge of the desert hole._

_"I wont lose two men in one day!" Our captain yelled, still grabbing hold of my arm to stop me leaving._

_"You wont." The boy cried back being hit back substantially by a large fang. With a final gun shot the worm gave a terrifying groan and fell to the desert floor dead. With the large force of the bang Gippal let go of his safety and began to fall down the hole the worm had made. Before he could go anywhere a tan hand extended forward and pulled the blonde boy back to safety._

_"Man, I owe you my life." Gippal stuttered, pulling the white haired boy into a thankful hug._

_"Guess its a good job i'm not too delicate to be fighting in the desert then. Is it not?" He smugly replied. Throwing his gun over the top of his shoulder and walking back in the direction we were headed._

_"Come on ladies. That little spit cost us good time." Nooj ordered trying to overtake his team mate._

"Yuna, Rikku. I'm going." I announced, placing myself into a stance.

"Paine." Baralai cried in shock, pleading for me not to do this. I could sense the two girls behind me wondering how he knew my name. If anyone had to fight him, I wanted it to be me. Someone who knew his faults and advantages. I didn't want to see him hurt. But we did hurt him regardless. His cries of _suffer_ were proof enough. My heart was pounding the whole time. I hit him hard time and time again. I knew what I was doing but I was mad. Why did it have to be you? Why did you have to be in my way?

"I'm going ahead." I said as Baralai stumbled away, letting us pass.

"You have your reasons." Yuna nodded. Rikku asked me to fill her in later.

"Much later." I laughed, walking away from the scene that unveiled. . The praetor was hunched over a little from his spot on the wall where he had left to. I turned to him, tears clearly running down my cheek.

"Just go." He whispered to me with the faintest of smiles. Had he forgiven me so suddenly?

"Thank you." I mouthed back. I stood there for a second my heart on my sleeve. I knew he could see it too,

"Its alright, Paine." He whispered, chocolate eyes full of sadness. "Its alright." I turned away as full tears ran down my face. The ice queen, she had feelings too.

"You promised. You promised to tell me." I remembered, so mad and unsure. He grabbed my hand suddenly and placed it over his heart.

"For all I knew you could have been anywhere in the world. Have you not already forgotten me? Forgotten...us.?" He asked, eyes stabbing me straight through the heart.

"Its not like that 'Lai. I still- I mean, I do. Nevermind." I stammered, my unusual self. "Right now we're meant to be enemies. I just beat you in battle for Yevon's sake." I cried, remembering the look on his face when I went for him. _Paine!_

"We're living on borrowed time." The praetor announced, as footsteps sounded from the next corridor. He pulled me into the secret cove and hid me as my two friends passed. "Take this corridor left, it will take you to Vegnagun quickly." He advised. I knew it must have been killing him to allow us to interfere with all that he had tried hard to avoid. I looked at him, tears still falling.

"I never forgot, Baralai." I huskily sighed. My heart wouldn't let me forget.

"I know." He said, pulling me into the embrace I had dreamt about for two years. He kissed me lightly on the cheek and held me away from him to look into my eyes.

"When this is over, please...come back to me." He pleaded. I nodded, dumbstruck. "Now go, Paine. Before they get there and you're somewhere else." He chuckled, pushing me towards the hidden corridor. "Hurry."

"_Oui Caneuic?" "Ra'c caneuic!"_


End file.
